Hood

ABSTRACT

An air tight hood fabricated of flexible materials for use in conjunction with wearing apparal, the marginal exterior of which surrounds the face in a muff-like formation which is capable of maintaining a fixed shape by inflating with air, and preferably having a pronounced, hollow visor portion also fixed in position by inflation.

United States Patent lrie 1451 July 18, 1972 1 HOOD 2,601,680 7/1952 Shaw ..2/202 [72] Inventor: Katsumasa Irle, No. 68, Kita Ono-cho, FOREIGN PATENTS ORAPPLICATIONS Koyama, Kita-ku, Kyoto, Japan 886,134 8/1953 Germany ..2/68 Flledr Aug-10,1970 1,561,966 2/1969 France ..2/202 911 920 7/1959 Great Britain... ....2/68 2 l. 1] App 62 497 225,132 6/1962 Austria ..2/202 [30] Foreign Application Priority Data Aug. 11, 1969 Japan ..44/78038 52 U.S. c1 ..2/202 [58] Field of Search ..2/195, 202, 203, 204, 205,

2/DIG. 3, 68, 2.1 R, 84, 9,10,191

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,581,366 1/1952 De Grazia ..2/203 Primary Examiner.lordan Franklin Assistant Examiner-George H. Krizmanich Attorney-Wenderoth, Lind & Ponack [57] ABSTRACT An air tight hood fabricated of flexible materials for use in conjunction with wearing apparal, the marginal exterior of which surrounds the face in a muff-like formation which is capable of maintaining a fixed shape by inflating with air, and preferably having a pronounced, hollow visor portion also fixed in position by inflation.

l 1 Claims, 4 Drawing figures Patented July 18, 1972 I NVENTOR.

KATSUMUSA IRIE *QMIL HOOD This invention relates to an improvement of the construction of an apparel hood useable on raincoats and various winter outer clothing of the jumper, cape, coat and the like type.

In general, such a good is formed to cover or protect the face as well as the head. When the upper edge of the hood is provided with a pronounced visor which is of generally flexible material, the visor may hang down from the front edge of the hood so that it partially covers the face, whereby the range of vision might be narrowed considerably, and when in use in a storm and the like, the front edge of the hood tends to veil the eyes such that it might cause possible danger. And, when the visor or the front edge of the hood is made with comparatively hard materials, it is inconvenient to fold up and put away due to the non-flexibility thereof.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved composite face muff and visor on a hood which overcomes these faults of known existing ones, and in which the marginal exterior thereof is adaptable to retain a fixed shape by inflating with air, so there is no likelihood of undesirably covering the face with the front edge of the hood. Also, the visor is maintained in its position and form by inflation without any tendency to droop, hang or narrow the range of vision. Because the hood may be made with any flexible materials and can be folded up compactly when deflated, it has several advantages including compactness and portability, and the like. These advantages are obtained from the combination and operation of the parts comprising this invention, and preferred embodiments thereof are illustrated in the accompanying drawing figures for which detailed explanation is described hereinafter.

Like parts are represented by like reference numerals in the various illustrative drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the first embodiment of the hood according to this invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the same, shown partially broken off;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the second preferred embodiment of the hood according to this invention, having a pronounced visor portion, partially broken away; and

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the hood of FIG. 3.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, the hood body 11 is made with flexible materials such as vinyl sheet and the like. A slender or tubular air tight sack 12 is made with flexible materials such as vinyl and the like which have air tightness, and is attached to the hood body 11 throughout the forward top side and along both front side edges thereof by suitable means such as heat fusion, welding or the like. Darts 13 may be formed by inserting or tucking and attaching corresponding front portions of the air tight sack 12 into the inside thereof near both upper inner sides of the air tight sack, although the darts 13 are not always necessary.

On the strip-like contacting portion along the rear edge of the air tight sack 12 which connects it with the hood body 11, there is formed a plurality of substantially triangular adherent portions 14 at nearly uniformly spaced intervals. These adherent portions 14 together with the remaining strip are to facilitate the attachment of the rear edge of the air tight sack 12 along both sides of the hood by means such as heat welding or the like. An air port 16 having a detachable plug is provided in a portion of the air tight sack 12, and when inflated with air the tubular sack expands. When darts 13 are utilized in the formation of the air tight sack l2, and when inflated, the air tight sack 12 is bent at the darts 13 and the upper portion of the inflated sack 12 forms a slightly forwardly projecting visor 17 with both sides of the sack l2 curved and retaining in a fixed form appropriately along the sides of the face of the user. In this manner, the front edge of the hood body 11 remains rigid and is not deformed by windy or stormy weather, with the face being protected by the rigid tube 12 at the front edge of the hood body 11.

As above mentioned, when the air tight sack is inflated, because the cross-sectional area of the sack 12 is somewhat lessened at the triangular adherent portions 14, the sack 12 may be more easily bent at these portions to conform to the general curvature of ones face. Without the use of the darts and the adherent portions, however, it is alternately feasible to specifically construct the air tight sack 12 to more smoothly curve along the face of the user.

Along the rearward edge of the air tight sack 12, a smaller tubular or cylindrical hem-portion 18 is formed parallel with said sack 12 through which a cord 19 is passed in a manner so that both cord ends extend from the holes 20 disposed in the lower outsides of the hood body 11. With this cord 19, the hood body 11, when utilized, is able to be secured tightly on the head of the user by tieing the ends of said cord 19 beneath the chin of the user, thereby precluding the possibility of the hood body 11 being blown off by the wind.

When the air in the sack 12 is deflated, the air sack 12 becomes completely flexible and can be freely folded.

Now, referring to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a hood body 21 is made with flexible materials such as vinyl and the like, and has tubular or a cylindrical part 22 formed along both front edges of the hood body 21. A hollow outer visor cover 23 is formed on the upper front edge of the hood body 21, with both side edges thereof intercommunicating with said cylindrical part 22. The forward edge of said visor is of arcuate form and projects substantially beyond the front edge of the cylindrical part 22 and at a generally right angle thereto. The tubular part 22 and the visor outer cover portion 23 are also made with flexible materials such as vinyl. During fabrication of the hood with visor, a tubular air tight sack 24 is made with flexible materials such as vinyl, is suitably inserted through from within the visor cover portion 23 into the tubular portions 22 along both sides of the hood. The middle top part of the air tight sack 24, that is, the part disposed within the visor cover 23, is of hollow semi-circular formation constituting an arcuate air tight chamber 25 accommodatable within the interior of the outer visor or cover portion. It is apparent that this would be preferably done before completing the heat-sealing or other attachment of these outer portions to the hood body 11. This air tight chamber 25 also embodies a medial radial tubular portion which separates two adherent quadrant shaped parts on the right and left sides thereof for connecting together the upper and lower faces of the vinyl material forming air tight chamber 25, which chamber 25 is adaptable also to retain its tubular shape when the air chamber is inflated. At a suitable place in the lower outside portion of said tubular air sack 24, there is provided an air filler port 28 having a detachable plug 27. The air port or valve stem 28 projects out of the outer tubular portion 22 via the hole 29 correspondingly disposed on the lower outside portion thereof. In this embodiment also, a cord 30 is inserted through a passageway extending behind the compositely formed visor 23 and outer cylindrical or tubular part 22, with both ends of the cord 30 extending out of the holes 31 formed on the lower outsides of said part 22.

In the latter described embodiment, when the inner tubular sack 24 and the chamber 25 are inflated via the air port 28, they collectively or jointly expand, in a substantially rigid form, to provide a composite face muff and visor which will not droop or fold responsive to high wind, rain and the like. The air tight chamber 25 within the visor portion 23 becomes rigidly tubular or planar due to the two intermediate quadrant shaped adherent portions 26. The generally planar visor 23 is held in a non-sagging projecting manner by the air tight chamber 25 which also serves as padding therefor. The inflated muff and visor function very well as intended.

In this embodiment also, the hood body 21 is secured snugly to the head of the user by tieing the free ends of the cord 30 beneath the chin.

It is apparent that when the inner tubular portion 24 and the visor chamber 25 are deflated via the air port 28, the complete hood becomes flexible and is readily foldable for storage when the garment is not in use.

I claim:

1. A protective head covering comprising, in combination:

a. a hood portion formed of a flexible material and compris ing two sides and an interjoining top portion together having forward marginal portions generally outlining an open front or face opening;

b. flexible, inflatable, composite face-muff-andpronounced-planar-form-visor means attached to said hood portion along said open front; and

c. means for selectively inflating and deflating said muff and visor means, so as to impart substantial rigidity thereto when in the inflated condition whereby they are not normally adversely deflectable by windy, stormy weather when in apparel usage.

2. A protective head covering as defined in claim 1 further including draw-string means extending adjacent at least a portion of the forward marginal portions of the hood to facilitate tieing together ends of a draw string beneath a wearer's chin area, thereby providing snug engagement ofthe muff and visor about the face and head.

3. A protective head covering as defined in claim 1 wherein said material for fabricating same is a flexible, water-and-wind proof material capable of having various hood, muff and visor portions interconnected with one another by heat-fusion or welding means.

4. A protective head covering as defined in claim 1 wherein the visor means of said composite muff-and visor means including a visor projecting forwardly of the face opening in generally planar form from the top portion of said hood, said visor comprising interconnecting tubular portions constituting a network of inflatable stiffening members; and said muff means thereof includes a pair of flexible inflatable tubular portions transversely dependingly connected with lateral side portions of said visor means; said latter tubular portions being of a depending length to engage opposite sides of a wearers face and to substantially meet beneath the chin area when in use.

5. A protective head covering as defined in claim 1 wherein the muff and visor means further includes a separate innertube-like network of intersecting inflatable stiffening members forming a visor foundation in one basic plane, and intercommunicating inner tube like portions transversely depending in another plane at generally right angles from lateral side portions of said visor foundation, said latter depending tubular portions being of a length to meet substantially beneath a wearers chin; and an outer flexible covering interjoining with said hood and closely overlaying and protectively confining all ofsaid muff and visor tubular members and portions.

6. A protective head covering as defined in claim 5 wherein said visor foundation includes non-inflatable adherent web portions formed of the material forming said inflatable network members and disposed at least intermediately adjacent certain of said inflatable members thereof.

7. A protective head covering as defined in claim 6 wherein said means for inflating and deflating said muff and visor means includes a selectively openable and closeable air inletoutlet port or valve attached to a depending tubular portion of the muff means, and disposed to project in an accessible manner through a correspondingly located aperture in said outer flexible covering of the mufi and visor means.

8. A protective head covering as defined in claim 6 wherein said visor is formed to have a generally arcuately curved forward edge defined by a curving outer peripheral tubular portion of generally semicircular form and interconnecting with a generally diametrical or chordal-like tubular portion constituting a base of the visor network, and further having at least one inflatable radially extending tubular portion interconnecting the diametrical tubular base portion at a remote portion of said outer peripheral tubular portion.

9. A protective head covering as defined in claim 6 wherein the hood portion is integrally connected with a coat-like apparel article.

10. A weather protective head covering comprising, in combination:

a. a hood portion formed of flexible material comprising two side portions and an interjoining top portion together having forward marginal edges generally outlining an open front or face opening of which the top portion is adapted to overlay the wearer's forehead and its marginal edge projects forwardly beyond the marginal edge of said side portions;

b. flexible, inflatable, composite face muff and pronounced visor means attached to said hood portion along said open front;

. said mufi' and visor means including an inflatable tubular portion having two indented or tucked in darts in laterally opposed positions on a portion constituting the front edge so as to form the pronounced visor means which projects obliquely and substantially forwardly of the forehead area of the wearer;

d. said inflatable tubular portion of the muff-and-visor means having oppositely disposed side portions depending from opposite sides of said visor means for facial en gagement and being of a length to substantially meet and terminate beneath the chin area of the wearer; and

e. further including a hood attaching web or strip along a portion opposite the front edge and constituting a rearward edge of the inflatable tubular portion, said web or strip having a plurality of triangular adherent portions at spaced intervals along at least the two opposed side portions and having an apex of said triangular portions indented into said tubular side portions so as to partially divide same into generally vertically disposed subsections to better facilitate curving confirmation to the wearer's face;

f. said composite muff and visor means further having means for selectively inflating and deflating same so as to impart substantial rigidity thereto when in the inflated condition, and to facilitate complete collapse and flexibility in the deflated condition; and

g. tie string means for securing at least the face muff portions in secure facial engagement and tieing same together beneath the chin area of the wearer.

11. A protective head covering as defined in claim 10 wherein the hood portion is integrally connected with a coatlike apparel article. 

1. A protective head covering comprising, in combination: a. a hood portion formed of a flexible material and comprising two sides and an interjoining top portion together having forward marginal portions generally outlining an open front or face opening; b. flexible, inflatable, composite face-muff-and-pronouncedplanar-form-visor means attached to said hood portion along said open front; and c. means for selectively inflating and deflating said muff and visor means, so as to impart substantial rigidity thereto when in the inflated condition whereby they are not normally adversely deflectable by windy, stormy weather when in apparel usage.
 2. A protective head covering as defined in claim 1 further including draw-string means extending adjacent at least a portion of the forward marginal portions of the hood to facilitate tieing together ends of a draw string beneath a wearer''s chin area, thereby providing snug engagement of the muff and visor about the face and head.
 3. A protective head covering as defined in claim 1 wherein said material for fabricating same is a flexible, water-and-wind proof material capable of having various hood, muff and visor portions interconnected with one another by heat-fusion or welding means.
 4. A protective head covering as defined in claim 1 wherein the visor means of said composite muff-and visor means including a visor projecting forwardly of the face opening in generally planar form from the top portion of said hood, said visor comprising interconnecting tubular portions constituting a network of inflatable stiffening members; and said muff means thereof includes a pair of flexible inflatable tubular portions transversely dependingly connected with lateral side portions of said visor means; said latter tubular portions being of a depending length to engage opposite sides of a wearers face and to substantially meet beneath the chin area when in use.
 5. A protective head covering as defined in claim 1 wherein the muff and visor means further includes a separate inner-tube-like network of intersecting inflatable stiffening members forming a visor foundation in one basic plane, and intercommunicating inner tube like portions transversely depending in another plane at generally right angles from lateral side portions of said visor foundation, said latter depending tubular portions being of a length to meet substantially beneath a wearer''s chin; and an outer flexible covering interjoining with said hood and closely overlaying and protectively confining all of said muff and visor tubular members and portions.
 6. A protective head covering as defined in cLaim 5 wherein said visor foundation includes non-inflatable adherent web portions formed of the material forming said inflatable network members and disposed at least intermediately adjacent certain of said inflatable members thereof.
 7. A protective head covering as defined in claim 6 wherein said means for inflating and deflating said muff and visor means includes a selectively openable and closeable air inlet-outlet port or valve attached to a depending tubular portion of the muff means, and disposed to project in an accessible manner through a correspondingly located aperture in said outer flexible covering of the muff and visor means.
 8. A protective head covering as defined in claim 6 wherein said visor is formed to have a generally arcuately curved forward edge defined by a curving outer peripheral tubular portion of generally semi-circular form and interconnecting with a generally diametrical or chordal-like tubular portion constituting a base of the visor network, and further having at least one inflatable radially extending tubular portion interconnecting the diametrical tubular base portion at a remote portion of said outer peripheral tubular portion.
 9. A protective head covering as defined in claim 6 wherein the hood portion is integrally connected with a coat-like apparel article.
 10. A weather protective head covering comprising, in combination: a. a hood portion formed of flexible material comprising two side portions and an interjoining top portion together having forward marginal edges generally outlining an open front or face opening of which the top portion is adapted to overlay the wearer''s forehead and its marginal edge projects forwardly beyond the marginal edge of said side portions; b. flexible, inflatable, composite face muff and pronounced visor means attached to said hood portion along said open front; c. said muff and visor means including an inflatable tubular portion having two indented or tucked in darts in laterally opposed positions on a portion constituting the front edge so as to form the pronounced visor means which projects obliquely and substantially forwardly of the forehead area of the wearer; d. said inflatable tubular portion of the muff-and-visor means having oppositely disposed side portions depending from opposite sides of said visor means for facial engagement and being of a length to substantially meet and terminate beneath the chin area of the wearer; and e. further including a hood attaching web or strip along a portion opposite the front edge and constituting a rearward edge of the inflatable tubular portion, said web or strip having a plurality of triangular adherent portions at spaced intervals along at least the two opposed side portions and having an apex of said triangular portions indented into said tubular side portions so as to partially divide same into generally vertically disposed subsections to better facilitate curving confirmation to the wearer''s face; f. said composite muff and visor means further having means for selectively inflating and deflating same so as to impart substantial rigidity thereto when in the inflated condition, and to facilitate complete collapse and flexibility in the deflated condition; and g. tie string means for securing at least the face muff portions in secure facial engagement and tieing same together beneath the chin area of the wearer.
 11. A protective head covering as defined in claim 10 wherein the hood portion is integrally connected with a coat-like apparel article. 